


Stardust Hourglass

by Nyaslie



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-01-23 15:03:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18552178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyaslie/pseuds/Nyaslie
Summary: In this world, people have Relics, items that hold powers. Follow a group of friends as their bond is tested when one of them discovers her Relic's power.





	1. Chapter 1

« Emi, Sei, wake up! »  
The monitor’s voice resonated in Emi’s ears. She sat in her sleeping bag and rubbed her eyes. Oh, how much she dreamt of a bed! Sadly, that year, her school, short on money, decided to replace the senior year’s trip with a one-week canoe camp. Emi sighed. She then took a look at the other sleeping bag beside her and saw nothing but a heap of wavy black hair. She smiles.  
“Tick tock, I woke up before you! she said in a still half-asleep tone.”  
She stretched out her arm to reach for her phone, but couldn’t take it off the pile of clothed it was on. Emi sighed again, before paying attention to the sounds around her: complete silence, even though she was in a tent, in the middle of a campsite in the woods. She knew what had happened: she had stopped time, without paying attention to how she did it.  
Stopping time was the power of her Relic, a pocket watch looking like it came from days gone by. Relics were items passed from generation to generation in most families. They held ancient powers, or hidden mechanisms. Coming across a Holder wasn’t uncommon: they had to hide for a long time, but Relics were now perfectly legal.  
Time usually resumed its course after what Emi estimated was ten minutes. Until then, she just had to wait.  
She let herself fall on her back and removed a few grey hair strands from her face. She closed her eyes with a sigh.  
Most of the Holders she knew had received their Relics on their fifteenth birthday, and already mastered their powers two years later. Emi still didn’t understand how her power worked three years after receiving her Relic, even though it randomly manifested. Not that she hadn’t paid attention to it; she just had other things to do than analyzing her own moves. However, since her last exams’ end, she did pay more attention to what she said: she had an idea as to how to resolve this mystery, she just had to wait for the due time.  
“Well, look who’s still sleeping!”  
Emi jumped, and realized she had gone back to sleep waiting for the time to restart. She quickly sat and answered, with a bright smile:  
“Who?”  
Sei giggled as she rolled her eyes, and started to pack her stuff up. Emi began to do the same.  
“Slept well? She asked.  
\- I miss my bed! Sei replied in a falsely tragic way.  
\- Hehe, me too!  
\- What time is it?  
Emi looked at her watch.  
\- 7:22!  
\- Oh, we’ve got time! Sei exclaimed. Breakfast only begins at 7:45, we can meet the boys a little before, I think.”  
Emi nodded.  
The two girls continued to pack their bags, then went to get dressed. As they got back to their tent, they saw a long line of students going to the refectory. They hurried up to finish packing and joined the line. They hoped they could find their friends once they reached the refectory, however amidst all the students there, they couldn’t catch sight of them. They resorted to thinking they’d meet up after the camp director’s speech, but when she finished talking, there was such chaos they didn’t even attempt to find their friends.  
“Well, we’re going to take the same bus anyway, Sei pointed out.  
\- Yeah, but it would’ve been cool to see them before! sighed Emi.  
\- Agreed.”


	2. Chapter 2

An alarm rang. Three heads immediately emerged from their sleeping bags: one red-headed, one blond, and the last brown-haired. The brown haired one, his face still buried in the clothes he used as a pillow, asked:  
“What time is it, John?  
\- It’s seven, David, answered the redhead, rubbing his eyes. The time on which we set the alarm.  
He looked at the blond one, who was already folding his sleeping bag.  
\- Woah, you’re fast, he noted.  
\- I’ve been awake for an hour, he sighed. I had the time to pack almost everything up, including half your stuff!  
\- Ugh, did we really have to wake up that early ?! whined David.  
\- We have to be prepared before breakfast! Vincent reminded as he dragged his bag out of the tent. C’mon Dave, you’ll sleep during the trip!  
\- Only if I can use you as a pillow, David stated.  
\- Yeah, yeah, whatever you want!”  
David, motivated by the idea of being able to sleep later, got up and took his suitcase out as well. Vincent and he took their clothes and went to the bathroom, followed by John a little later.  
When they came back, they shut their bags and aligned before the tent. John, the manual in hand, read the instructions to fold the tent and make it fit into its case, while the two other boys complied. They achieved it quickly, keeping their cool, unlike almost every other group they saw, and put it on John’s suitcase. They sat down on the low wall they had put their luggage against.  
“John, time? Inquired David.  
\- 7:35! he smiled.  
\- Not bad, commented Vincent with a grin.”  
David and he high-fived, then high-fived John. The three of them got up and headed to the refectory, first David and Vincent hand-in-hand, then John. They arrived amongst the first ones, and decided to go sit on the sill of one of the large windows of the building. They waited there for a few minutes, looking at the crowd of arriving students.   
“Do you see Emi and Sei? asked John.  
\- Nope, Vincent answered.  
\- Neither do I, added David. Knowing them, they’ll arrive at the last second!”  
They let another few minutes pass. Since they still didn’t see them come, they decided to meet up with them later: there would be so many people at breakfast that it would be vain to even think about finding them.   
Their reasoning was interrupted by a figure standing up on a wall not far from them: Mrs. Temeb, camp manager with a thousand other roles, was getting ready for her last morning speech. Conversations fell silent was she started to speak.  
“Good morning, dear students! I’m gonna be real quick here, because I see you’re all waiting to go eat. For a first attempt at organizing a camp, it wasn’t that bad! I mean, we’ve gotten down the whole Reech in canoes without too much damage, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the supervisors and camping’s staff! Thanks to them!”  
She started applauding, and the students followed suit.  
“Before going to eat breakfast, let me remind you of the next important meeting, nine o’clock in front of the busses, where we arrived on Monday!”  
The refectory’s doors opened, and a mad dash for food began. When they finally obtained their precious want, John, David and Vincent sat down at the end of a table populated by students whose faces they were sure they had already seen, but whose names they had no idea of.   
As they got out of the refectory, they still looked back to see if they could see their friends.  
“They must’ve already left, John said, shrugging.  
\- We have to pass in front of their spot to go to the busses anyway, David pointed out.  
\- We’ll meet up with them there then, Vincent concluded. We’ll surely be finished before them.”  
The two others nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

After having called a supervisor to verify that their spot was properly tidy, the boys picked up their bags: David took the sleeping bags, John got the tent in addition to his suitcase, and Vincent took care of his and David’s bags.  
They followed the path going across camping locations, where student groups were trying to fold their tent without going at each other’s throats. Among these, they noticed two girls sitting on the ground, an instruction manual in their hands. John approached them and began to look over their shoulders. One of them noticed.  
“Oh, hi John, Emi said, looking up.  
\- Need some help?  
\- Us, needing help? Why, don’t you see we’re about finished? Sei retorted.  
John took a look at the miserable pile of fabric in front of them.  
\- Yeah, I see that… Shoo, make way!”  
Meanwhile, David and Vincent had approached too. They greeted the girls, left their luggage near theirs and began folding their tent.  
While Sei and her were put in the background, Emi noticed an unpleasant presence from the corner of her eye: Megan DeVindern. That girl had been in her class for as long as she could remember, and she had never been able to stand her. And yet, her friends liked her – how they were able to, she didn’t understand. As she went past them, she waved at her friends. Emi rolled her eyes.  
Sei tapped on Emi’s shoulder, and pointed towards the boys.  
“Ta-daa! they exclaimed as John gave Emi the tent in its case.  
\- Thanks, you three! She said.”  
She placed the tent on her suitcase and took its handle, as Sei took hers and the boys picked up their burdens once more. The five of them set off to the square where the busses were.  
“What’s the time? Sei asked.  
\- 8:50, John answered.  
\- We’re well ahead of time! Emi noted with a hint of relief.”  
Four busses were parked on the square. After having put their bags in the luggage compartment, they sat down in front of the smallest one.  
They got on the bus a few minutes after nine: the latecomers took their time to arrive. As soon as the bus’s door opened, David and John rushed to get to the back of the bus, a five-seat banquette, followed by Vincent and the girls. David had kept the seat next to the left window for Vincent. Sei took the seat next to the right window, leaving Emi the middle seat, between David and John.  
“John, will you be my pillow? Emi asked in a childish tone.  
\- Why, didn’t you sleep enough? he retorted with a smirk.  
\- Jooohn! It’s either you or David, and David’s already taken! she complained while pointing to Vincent, his head already rested on David’s shoulder.  
\- Okay, he sighed. His smirk changed into a light smile.  
\- Thank you! Emi smiled brightly.”  
The bus started up as she laid her head on John’s shoulder. She fell asleep almost immediately, same as Sei, leaning against the window, and Vincent and David. John stayed awake, alone. Even though he was tired, even though his friends were all sleeping, he couldn’t fall asleep. The two movies the other passengers insisted to watch took three of the four hours of the trip’s first part. During the last hour, he contented himself of watching the landscape through the window or keeping an eye on his friends in case they woke up. When the driver announced a stop to eat, John lightly tapped on each of his friends’ heads to wake them up.  
After having eaten a less-than-filling lunch, they went back in the busses. Sei and Vincent went back to sleep in the same way as before. John asked Emi:  
“Can I try to sleep on you?  
\- Dude, you look like a zombie. Rest your head right there and sleep, she said, removing her braid from her right shoulder.  
\- Thanks, he smiled.”  
He laid his head on his friend’s shoulder and closed his eyes. David and Emi stayed awake.  
“So… how did the camp go for you? Emi whispered.  
\- Not too bad. A few unkind looks, and some comments in hushed voices, but the majority of people had the good idea to not say anything, he answered.  
A faint smile appeared on Emi’s face when she heard his sentence. She asked again:  
“And the end-camp “party”? She mimed quotation marks with her hands. Why didn’t you go?  
\- Vincent didn’t want to, he explained, and Emi felt a hint of regret in his voice. He stayed in the tent to pack up his stuff, so I took a walk on the beach. I would’ve like dance a bit with him…  
\- It surely isn’t the last party, Emi said, as if to reassure him.  
\- Maybe it isn’t, yeah. And for you, how’d it go?  
\- Well, Sei and I were in the same canoe group as Megan, and I stayed seated outside for the whole party yesterday, so it could’ve been better.  
\- You didn’t dance with John, or with Sei?  
\- I didn’t find John, and Sei had stayed at the tent to rest. But all that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a great week with all four of you! Emi specified, to assure that she had not had a bad time.  
\- Fortunately, we were together, yeah! It’s just sad that Amelie wasn’t here. \- Yeah, I think she would have liked that camp, Emi added, yawning. \- Come on, go back to sleep Em, you still look tired, David said benevolently.” She smiled at him, and he tousled her hair. She leaned her head against John’s and closed her eyes.  
David lifted his head. He would’ve liked to see the sky, but he only saw a stained grey ceiling. He then looked at Vincent, peacefully sleeping against him. This little week with him and their friends would be a fond memory of his. It would cheer him up when he’d spend his whole holidays in front of his computer, with his uncle in the living room.  
Vincent tightened his grip on his hand. David smiled, and put his head on his.


	4. Chapter 4

When she woke up, Emi immediately looked at the time on her watch. It was 16:13. She then looked left and right through the windows, and recognized the high school’s parking: they had arrived. Seeing her friends still sleeping, and the other passengers getting ready to get off the bus, an idea came to her mind: it was the perfect moment to test out a hypothesis on her power! And anyway, if it were to fail, no one would notice she had said anything. She even had the perfect sentence.   
“Tick, tock, it’s time to wake up!”  
Immediately, everything around her froze. She tried to unfasten her seatbelt, but the buckle stayed locked. She contorted herself to get rid of it, and took a few steps down the aisle. She stared at the other’s still looks, waving her hands in front of the eyes of some of them. No reaction. She grabbed her watch and lifted it at her eyes’ height. Slowly, she pressed on the button allowing it to open. She stared at the hands for a long time, waiting for a least one millimeter of movement. Nothing.  
“I did it! she shouted.”  
A big smile emerged on her face, and she threw her fist in the air triumphally. She had however forgotten she was in a bus, so she took her hand back down, shaking it to soothe the pain of the punch she had thrown in the ceiling. She sat back down in her place, careful put her shoulder back under John’s head, still bouncing with joy, delighted to be able to tell her friends the good news.   
She knew time had resumed when she heard John’s sleepy voice.   
“Did you say something, Em?  
\- I told you to wake up! We’re there! We’re in Perrysun!  
\- How enthusiastic! David jested. You really wanted to go home that much?  
\- That’s not it!  
\- Then what is it? Vincent asked.  
\- I figured out how to stop time! Emi exulted.  
\- What? her friends chorused.  
\- I found out how my Relic works!  
\- That’s great! Sei told her.  
\- Bravo! John congratulated her with a thumbs up.”  
David and Vincent briefly applauded, before they were summoned to get out. They got their luggage back, put them down in a corner of the school’s courtyard and separated from each other to go join their classmates to receive their report cards.  
Emi approached Mrs. Temeb, who took her and her classmates to sit near a rock in the courtyard. She addressed to each a little word and a handshake, then gave them their school reports – which felt really unnecessary to Emi, as their grades already figured on their diplomas. After that, she let them go. The first of her group to be free, Emi sat next to her suitcase and started to observe the people passing by. She had a sour taste in her mouth. Discovering her Relic’s power was really important for her. Her friends’ reactions had disappointed her a little. She didn’t think they’d be as unenthusiastic. They knew how much it meant to her! Maybe she had expected too much from them.  
She dispelled that thought from her mind, as to not get more bitter than she already was.  
She noticed Megan in another corner of the school’s ground. Unlike the other years, she wasn’t crying in her friend Helenna’s arms because they wouldn’t see each other for a month and a half. She looked… sad. Emi almost felt sorry for her.  
John and Sei hurried up to meet their class under a covered part of the yard. In an impulse of originality, their teacher had the idea to take the list of names backwards, putting both of them at the bottom of the list. They were forced to see the other students gradually leave, their report cards in hand, and when they finally got theirs, they had to navigate through the groups of students planning parties to celebrate their success. As if they had not already done it when they had received their diplomas weeks earlier. After that, they finally managed to get back to their luggage and their friend.   
David and Vincent had to go to different classrooms to receive their report cards.   
David arrived last and late in his classroom, so his teacher almost threw his report at his face. He therefore got out of the class as quick as he got in, and went to wait for Vincent in front of his classroom. The latter still waited for his report card, as his teacher had forgotten her glasses and took time to read the names on the list. Vincent could still wait for a long time: she had given their reports to five students out of twenty, and he was close to the end of the list. When he caught sight of David, he rolled his eyes, discreetly pointing to the teacher. David seemed to ask him why he rolled his eyes; Vincent gestured around his eyes, trying to make him understand he meant “no glasses”. David made him know that he understood by taking his glasses off and pointing to the teacher. Vincent then proceeded to mime-ask him how he got there so early by pointing at his watch, then at him. David answered by miming his teacher throwing the report at him. Vincent discreetly laughed. He finally received his report after a few more minutes, and rushed out of the classroom. David and he hastened to meet with their friends.   
As soon as they got together again, they separated: David and John had to go take the train, Vincent and Emi the bus, and Sei had to walk home. They separated without tearful hugs: none of them were going on vacation; they would surely pass some time together.


	5. Chapter 5

As they were waiting for the train, David and John chatted about the way they received their reports, the remarks the teachers had written in those, and some memories of lessons coming to their minds. They came to agree on one thing: even though they surely were going to miss high school, they were happy it was finally over. As they reached that conclusion, the train arrived: they rushed to get seats, and ended up sitting face to face in a square of seats. David noticed, a little farther, someone with long burgundy hair. He told John to keep his seat and his suitcase, and left. He came back with Megan, who sat beside him. Atfter a few seconds of silence, she asked them:  
“Did you like the camp?  
\- I rather did, yeah. It was tiring but nice, David answered. John nodded in agreement. David asked back: Why, you didn’t?  
\- Eh, if Helenna hadn’t been there, maybe I would’ve liked it more. Her tent was in front of mine, I saw her and her new girlfriend every morning!  
David and John had a pout of empathetic pain.   
\- At least you won’t see her at Uni anymore! David reassured her.  
Megan nodded. She wondered how school without her would feel. They had been best friends, girlfriends, then nothing.   
\- She failed her exams? John was surprised.  
\- Nah, she’s going to Uni in the UK, Megan explained.  
\- Good riddance! John joked. Megan smiled. He then asked: Where are you going?  
\- I’m going to Perrysun! I’m taking up History and Art History. Spanish’s got me bored.  
\- Well, looks like you might get classes with Emi, David noted.  
\- Why?  
\- She chose History, as well as Antique Civilizations and Languages.  
\- Oh, Megan said. Emi as the only known person in a classroom. How would that turn out? She chose not to think more about that and to help in making that thought disappear, she asked:  
\- And you, what did you choose?  
\- Well, you already know it, I’m taking up Physics and Math! David answered proudly.  
\- Yup, that’s why I was asking John, Megan said with a small laugh.  
\- Oh, I’m taking up Biology and Chemistry, I’m following in the same path, John answered. Not super inventive, but I like what I’m doing. And, after a year, one can take up a course in medical studies, so it might be interesting.  
\- What a project! Megan reacted. Didn’t you take Italian back in middle school?  
\- Yeah, I didn’t fancy sciences back then, but it was a good idea to change and take that in high school! John explained.  
\- Well, it’s nice if you found something that makes you happy! And the others, what are they taking up?  
\- Vincent wants to study Music and Sei Cinema, and they both chose Law as a second course, David exposed.  
\- Why Law? Megan was surprised.   
\- They wanted a diploma they could rely on, in a subject more reliable than artistic subjects, so they chose to keep going in what they were doing in high school!   
\- But, wasn’t Sei in sciences with you, John? Megan said, confused.  
\- She was, John agreed, but she had taken Law and Economy as a secondary subject of the last two years, he explained.  
\- As for Amelie, David added, she’s finishing high school.  
\- Oh, yeah! I forgot she was younger, I was almost about to ask why she wasn’t at the camp, Megan reacted. The school and the Uni aren’t that far, I think, you’ll be able to see each other, won’t you?  
\- Yeah, for sure!”  
The train line’s monotone voice announced the Niodi train station. David, Megan and John took their suitcases and positioned themselves in front of the door. When they got out of the train, they passed through the station together, then separated: John went left, David and Megan went right. 

John walked slower and slower as he arrived near his street. It’s not “going home” that bothered him. In fact, he was happy to go back to his room. He just knew that his parents and his little brother were going to be home, and that he was going to be bombarded with invasive questions barely a foot inside the house. He tightened his fists. There were only a few weeks left before his other brother arrived to spend part of his holidays at home. Until then, he’d just have to endure his family alone. John sighed as he put his hand on the door handle. He lowered it, and pushed to door as quietly as possible. He closed it behind him, lifted his suitcase and moved fast to reach the stairs. He put a foot on the first step and…  
“Johnny! his mother yelled.  
\- Shit, he murmured.  
\- C’mere to tell us about your trip!  
\- Mom, I’m tired and I need to empty my suitcase and I want to take a shower and…  
\- John, you stop whining and you come here! his father added.”  
John released a long sigh and continued on going up the stairs. 

David and Megan walked for a while in silence. After John had left, Megan had said, with a half-smile:  
“This morning, Emi has only rolled her eyes.   
\- What an evolution! David had sniggered.  
\- Listen, it changed from hushed remarks!   
A question had come back to her mind.  
\- What’s it gonna be if we have classes together next year…”  
Megan had sighed. They had kept their eyes to the ground since then.  
She didn’t immediately notice David had stopped: they were in front of his apartment building. They hugged for a few instants, then Megan watched him enter. When the door closed, she started walking again.

David want laboriously up the stairs to the fourth floor. There, he opened his apartment’s door and went directly to his room. He knew his uncle was in front of the TV, sprawled on the livingroom’s chair. He worked by night; so, each time David arrived home, he drowsed in the same place.   
He put his suitcase at the bottom of his bed. Before doing anything else, he placed his right middle finger on his signet ring. After a few seconds, an interface appeared. It contained a computer, a mouse and a video game console. David took them out of the interface one by one and placed them on his desk, on the only less dusty spaces. He looked at the interface: it only contained one more item. He took it out, and briefly looked at it. It was a letter from his parents, who worked in various labs around the world. There was an old picture of him with them glued to the back of it. He smiled, and put it back in his Relic. It reminded him of his goal: now that high school was over, the day he’d work with them was even nearer. But until then, he was stuck with his uncle.  
Who wasn’t going to remind him to go eat something. He closed his interface, and went to the kitchen. If he didn’t eat something now, he’d forget about it and be hungry for the rest of the night. And god knows the night was going to be long. 

Megan dragged her feet a little longer, until she reached the woods. There, she found a fence. She composed a code on a hidden keypad on the side of a bar. She followed the path bordered by flowerbeds that connected the gate to the villa and met William before the door. He was the household employee in charge of her; at her service enough that he had seen her grow up more than her stepfather.   
“May I take your suitcase, Miss Megan? he asked.   
\- It’s okay, William. I can take care of it, she answered with a sweet smile.”  
He opened the door and escorted Megan to her room. Before entering, Megan turned to William and asked him to bring her tea. The man gone, she pushed her room’s door.   
Megan pushed her suitcase under the bed. She took a look at herself in the mirror while taking off her light scarf. It revealed a chain with a spade-shaped pendent. She took a fan that was on her nightstand to fan herself. Having a scarf in June wasn’t the best of her ideas, she recognized, but it was the only way to keep her Relic from working. She loved her necklace, since it was a gift from her mother; however, she didn’t like the idea of influencing her entourage’s minds.   
She heard a knock on the door.  
“Wait just a moment, William!”  
She took the necklace off and put it on a little stand next to a small box containing a ring.  
She opened the door for William, and he entered with a plateau, on which were a teapot, a teacup and a plate with a few biscuits.  
“You can put it on the desk, Megan told him. Thank you for the biscuits.  
\- You’re welcome, Miss.”  
The butler waited for a few instants to see if Megan needed anything. Seeing that she didn’t, he moved towards to door. Before getting out, he remembered:  
“Your stepfather will be there for dinner tonight.  
\- Fine, she answered in a monotonous tone. Thanks again for the tea, William, she continued with a warmer voice.”  
The butler bowed and got out of her room.  
Megan sat down and stared at the movement she made with her spoon to stir her tea for a long time. It was just a matter of time until a butler came to tell her that unfortunately, her stepfather wasn’t going to be there. What a pity. She just hoped it would be William, because she couldn’t endure the whole “he really would’ve liked to be there” act and he was the only one to not put it up. She hoped these holidays would be less boring than the other years. Just like the other years.


	6. Chapter 6

Sei arrived in front of her apartment building. She entered, took a few steps, stopping before the lift. She opened its door, pushed her suitcase in and tried to fit herself in the tiny elevator, then pushed the second floor’s button. When the annoying lift’s voice announced her floor a few seconds later, she pushed the door again and dragged her suitcase out, then to her home’s door, and she entered.

She avoided her little sisters by quickly walking to her room and once her door was conscientiously locked, she laid her suitcase down under her desk. First and foremost, as to not forget to do it, she took her keychain off her suitcase’s zipper. It was in the shape of a crescent moon, and a black gemstone stood in the middle of it. She lifted the stone, and a small needle emerged. She put a finger on it with a shiver: a blade unfolded from under the chain. She took her finger off and applied a band-aid taken on her desk to it.  
Sei then grabbed the keychain like the handle of a foil and executed a few movements of her hand. They were precise: she had practiced fencing for a few years. As soon as she had discovered the mechanism in her keychain, she had begged her parents for fencing lessons. She had stopped two years earlier: too many lessons, too many exams, she had had to give up fencing. She did not like to think about that period, it made her feel vulnerable. However, she still stopped by the fencing hall from time to time to practice, as her teacher liked to have her around. Sei gladly gave her a hand whenever she called. According to her, she was talented. She surely didn’t know that her bond with her Relic was what had drawn her to this sport.  
Sei retracted the blade into the keychain, and laid it beside her computer. She let herself fall on her bed. “Five minutes”, she told herself. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Vincent and Emi got off the bus in front of her house. They waved at each other, and Vincent went in a parallel street while Emi entered the house.  
“Dad, I’m home! she yelled to announce herself.  
\- I’m in the office! her father answered.”  
She went upstairs and passed by her room to drop off her suitcase.  
When she entered, she saw from the corner of her eye in the mirror on the other side of the room that her braid was messy. She undid it, staring at her own eyes like she often did. Their green was the only thing she was sure to like about herself. She rubbed them, and pushed her suitcase under her room’s window. She retrieved her report card from it and went back out of her room and to her father’s office. She knocked on his already opened door. He lifted his head from his keyboard.  
“Hi, she said.  
\- Hi, how was your camp?  
\- Fine, I didn’t get any sunburn.  
\- That’s good, it’ll spare us liters of aftersun!  
\- How was your week? Emi continued without laughing at his joke.  
\- Same as always, though one of two more patients. So, what about that report?  
\- Here, she said as she put it on the desk.  
He took it, she got out.  
\- If you’re searching for me I’ll be in my room.”  
She closed the door behind herself and sat at her desk. She grabbed a notebook from a drawer and turned her computer on. Just before the password-entering screen appeared, she pronounced a single word:  
“Tock.”  
She waited for a few seconds before writing something down:  
“Observation number 1: Effects on technology.”

Vincent put his bag on his other shoulder, pushed his earphones in his ears and his hands in his pockets. He still had to walk for a half-hour to get home. Emi’s bus stop was the closest to his house; it didn’t bother him to have to walk, he liked it. He knew the way between her friend’s house and his own so well he didn’t even have to look in front of him. He faced forward, without really looking at what was there.  
He sighed.  
He was thinking about David. If only he had known that he would’ve liked to dance, he would’ve taken him to the party. He even could’ve convinced John to join. He could’ve at least joined him on the beach. He felt a bit stupid; he always felt stupid after missed chances like that. He tried to dismiss the feeling by telling himself that they could dance whenever they wanted, without their fellow student’s ponderous looks. They had ten weeks to do that.  
He passed through the creaky fence and headed to the stairs on the side of the old house that went directly to the second floor. He had a studio there, independent from the other floors where his aunt and his father lived. As he opened the door, he thought to himself that he’d go say hi to his aunt later. He didn't even to think about saying hi to his father. He took his keys out of his pocket, opened the door and entered the apartment.  
Vincent dropped his bag on his bed, his jacket over it and grabbed his phone. He sat on his desk chair and, while waiting for his computer to turn on, sent a message to Amelie.


	7. Chapter 7

Her phone’s screen lit up in a white flash. She quickly paused her game and looked at the message she had received:

 **Vincent** : Hey! How was your week?

 **Me** : Hello ! It was super boring without ya’ll, like I’ve been occupied for less than 3 hours this whole week!

 **Vincent** : How much time this year to receive the grades?

 **Me** : 20 minutes ! 15 waiting for the teachers, 5 waiting for the report

 **Vincent** : They’re not getting better…

              My teacher didn’t have her glasses, she took 30 minutes to give out the reports

              Otherwise, got good grades?

 **Me** : Pfft, she’s beaten the record all by herself. And yeah, good everywhere but in physics !

 **Vincent** : You should’ve asked David :p

 **Me** : I wouldn’t have understood anything he would’ve told me, and I would’ve ended up convincing him to play Smash :p

 **Vincent** : And he certainly wouldn’t raise an objection to a smash game…

              Anyway, it’s great that you pass easily, second year was hell for us!

 **Me:** I remember that, yeah :p

 **Vincent:** Hey, I got an idea, how would you like going to the park tomorrow, with everyone? To begin the holidays well!

 **Me:** Good idea ! I just have to go ask my mom, brb

 

Amelie got up from her chair and went to the living room, where she found her mom laying on the couch.

“Mom, can I go to the park with my friends tomorrow?

She didn’t get an answer

\- Mom! she shouted, making her jump.

\- Huh, what?

\- Can I go to the park tomorrow with my friends?

\- Ugh, do whatever you want but let me sleep

\- Okay!”

She went back in her room and sat back.

 

 **Me** : I’m back, my mom’s okay with it !

 **Vincent** : Nice, I’m sending a text on the group chat

 

Amelie immediately received a notification from her and her friends’ group chat.

 

 **Vincent** : How about we eat together tomorrow at noon in the park?

 

 

John stood before his bookshelf. He had finished his book during the camp, and he now once again faced a cornelian dilemma: what to read? He was torn between his want to re-read a book he already knew, for nostalgy’s sake or to discover new things about its story, and his want to read something new. He turned his back on the books and leaned on the bookshelf. The truth was, he wanted to play his guitar. He hadn’t touched it since the night before his first exam; which meant he had not played for a whole month. But he had to keep a low profile: he had succeeded in making his family think he was asleep. So, no guitar this evening. John threw himself on his bed and took the videogame console that was on his nightstand. He put the connected earphones in his ears and opened the console: in it was one of his favorite games, a rhythm game. Simple musical minigames, and that was what he liked about it. It was simple, but needed focus to master. But right before he could start a minigame, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He rolled his eyes with a sigh, but still reached for his phone. It was a text from Vincent, proposing a picnic the next day. John smiled: any excuse to get out of the house was a good one; and going out with his friends was the best one. Without thinking any further, he wrote:

 

 **Me** : Not interested!

 **Vincent** : dude

                You’re no fun

 **Me** : :p

        Obviously I’ll be there ^^

 **Amelie** : I will too !

 **Me** : Half the group left and we’ll all be there!

 

 

David had turned his videogame console on to continue the game he had started before the camp. He briefly looked at his phone from time to time, waiting for a text, any text. He didn’t like feeling as alone as he did in this instant. Ending up all alone in his room after sharing a tent with two friends for a week reinforced the feeling of loneliness he usually experienced. He walked around in a calm forest when he got Vincent’s text. He paused his game and read it. He then took a moment to think: noon was pretty early for a first day of holidays, but he’d gladly sacrifice hours of sleep to see his friends. The idea of all of them together alone was a good enough reason not to stay inside.

 

 **Me** : I’m in 😊

 **Vi** : Nice

 **Jay** : Bring Smash bros :3

 **Me** : What, you wanna be defeated that much? :3

 **Jay** : Like hell you’ll defeat me§

 **Vi** : I bet on Dave

 **Amy** : Same

 **Jay** : Guys ☹

 **Me** : I’m the best B)

 **Jay** : Wait ‘til I team up with Sei, then we’ll see if you win!

 **Me** : She’d have to come for you to do that :3

 

When Sei opened her eyes, she noticed everything around her had gone dark. She grabbed her phone to check the time: it was one in the morning.

“I just wanted to take a little nap…” Sei plaintively thought. 

She sat on her bed, read the messages she had received from her friends, and answered them:

 

 **Me**  : As if I were gonna miss that!

 **Amelie**  : What train will you take?

 **Me** : The one at 11:16, I think

 **Amelie** : that’s fine for me!

              It’s late, go to sleep :p

 **Me** : I just woke up, you’re the one who should go to sleep!

 **Amelie** : You can dream on!

 

She tittered. Seeing someone connected at that kind of time was a habit. Sometimes, they had to finish something for school. Other times, they couldn’t sleep. Often, they just didn’t want to. Or, they had taken a nap that had been a tad too long - like Sei.

She went to grab her laptop from her desk, and sat back. Since she was going to spend the night awake, she might as well watch a movie from the long list of movies she had downloaded, but still not watched.


End file.
